St. Petersburg spoke again, "Some electromechanical cities out there also have docks that can perform maintenance on us, but none are as compatible and thorough, able to seamlessly integrate into every area of the Light Imprint Structure."

"After each maintenance session, not only do we get an acceleration boost when we depart from the harbor, but we are also covered with a very decent energy shell that can negate 200 points of damage… truly unique."

"To be honest, I'm also worried that relying solely on the base's own energy to assist us could lead to significant resource depletion, rendering it unusable. It is a friend who has been a great help to me, and one of the few submarine bases that perfectly suits us. Neither I nor those guys would want it to falter and disappear."

"Since Yalong Bay has an organization backing it, that puts my mind at ease."

It was only then that Zhou Yi learned that after Yalong Bay Base's repair, there was also a coating and acceleration process.

He shared the same concerns as St. Petersburg.

Yalong Bay responded, "Please don't worry, these two processes are also supported by Light Seeds invested by the repair clientele."

That's reassuring.

Zhou Yi then asked the electromechanical submarine, "Aside from the tight ship berths, are there any other suggestions?"

St. Petersburg waited for a while before answering, "Another point is it would be best to have a fixed position, or at the very least, stay long-term in a certain area during one season to facilitate everyone's ability to locate and find us."

"I also relied on a positioning projectile I left here last time to find my way here, but that method is really cumbersome. As a free service, I know this request might seem impolite considering our usual maintenance costs a single time are over 1000 Light Seeds, but if possible, please consider it…"

Zhou Yi thought to himself, isn't that convenient?

He immediately stated, "This is also something the company is considering. Yalong Bay has been drifting over the Dead Sea for a few years now, and its operation is as good as we expected, so we've decided to relocate it back to headquarters, to be situated next to our Jade City and establish a long-term presence there."

"That's great, I'll definitely visit often!"

In his excitement, St. Petersburg once again emphasized, "But friend, it's still about the ship berths, the berth problem… and where exactly is the address?"

Zhou Yi said, "It's on the east side of the Sand Port Region."

"That area, huh... a bit remote, but very peaceful, less war-torn, certainly a suitable place. In that case, I'll mark signals with your cooperator, so we can dock once we enter each other's range for exploration."

And so, Red Kestrel and St. Petersburg added each other as local network friends.

...

Through St. Petersburg, Zhou Yi gained some new insights about Yalong Bay.

Its exterior was daunting, but it was inherently a logistical-type architectural lifeform. Its notorious reputation came because various electromechanical submarines were firing in its defense, safeguarding the security of this free self-help base.

Yalong Bay's strongest attribute was its hull defense.

In the words of St. Petersburg.

"At the time when the Mechanical Knights' fleet fired at it, I was on the scene, waiting for a berth. I was quite worried it wouldn't hold up. Unexpectedly, several B-class ships fired their main guns, and it suffered only minimal damage. Its defensive capability is incredibly impressive! It would serve as a military fortress with no issues!"

The pier of the electromechanical submarine shimmered with light, "But inside that berth is brother Deep Blue, undergoing maintenance and care, and also a regular at Yalong Bay. When an A-Level lifeform gets involved, there are no surprises."

Yalong Bay could even call over an A-class submarine.

Deep Blue.

Zhou Yi silently noted this name, then mentally inquired Red Kestrel, "Do you know this Deep Blue?"

"There's a record of it in Recursive City's database. A-Level lifeforms are closely watched by all parties, but public information is scarce, mostly they appear in the Outer Sea."

The drone replied, "The 'Deep Blue' is an investigator dispatched by 404 City, with unlimited firing rights. Its duty is to investigate and capture extremely dangerous disordered electromechanical lives and hand them over to 404 City for hibernation."

"But Deep Blue's movements are secretive, rarely making public appearances."

This Deep Blue could be regarded as a high-ranking detective dispatched by 404 City.

Zhou Yi asked St. Petersburg, "Deep Blue also comes here for maintenance? Why doesn't it go to 404 City?"

"You might not know this... just give me a moment, I need to perform a local deep cleaning."

Projecting two beams of light around its bridge, St. Petersburg caused a reaction with the light paths on the tunnel walls.

About twenty seconds later, these beams of light connected with each other.

The light concentrated at the rear of the submarine, leaving a series of glowing red scorch marks.

"Finally found that old injury, I feel relieved now."

St. Petersburg then continued, "Although I don't know what the insides of 404 City are like, the electromechanical cities all have set standards."

"For maintenance, you must go through body measurement and inspection phases, followed by component functionality assessment and overall performance benchmarking… Every prerequisite must be met, each phase managed by different individuals, with a long scheduling period."

"It doesn't matter if you're E-class or A-class, first come a reservation and then scheduling. If there are too many numbers, they'll do a lottery and divert the excess to other cities."

"That's our electromechanical cities for you, all orderly and by the book, unless the one needing repair is about to die, then it's through the emergency lane. But usually, those with such severe damage often end up being taken to sanatoriums for conservative treatments, then just waiting to die due to the high risks associated with surgical repairs."

"I don't want to say our cities are foolish and rigid, but that's the reality."

Zhou Yi was taken aback.

He knew about the difficulties electromechanical lives faced in seeking treatment.

Yet, he had not expected that even Deep Blue, as an A-class entity, would have to queue up for a lottery.

"That's how it is, Deep Blue usually gets many opportunities here; a ship berth means direct entry. Everyone's also willing to give it some space, for it's rare to see such a dignified individual."

St. Petersburg returned to the old topic, "So friend, it's the same old problem, we need more ship berths. We're all counting on this place in critical moments."

Zhou Yi nodded, "We will expedite the expansion project."

The cumbersome procedures of electromechanical cities had caused a pain point in the treatment and maintenance of electromechanical lives.

Perhaps Maria Hospital could consider this direction in the future.

Main objectives accomplished.

Last was to meet with the ship captain, Qin Xie, before leaving.

...

The initial meeting between the two sides was conducted via intermediaries.

Zhou Yi sent Red Kestrel as his representative, while the other side sent a fluffy brown teddy bear.

They met on a small boat.

The boat was provided by Qin Xie, but they met above the Dead Sea's calm waters, between the base and the fleet.

Extending its arms, the teddy bear discussed its demands, "We hope to make a joint statement with the Wasteland Development Company, regarding this sea-dwelling Alien…"

Red Kestrel said, "Instead of negotiating aboard the Seventh Fleet's ships and using cameras to take photos for propaganda, it would be more persuasive to directly step onto the surface of this architectural life form."

The teddy bear scratched its ears, "That's no problem. I heard that your chairman is quite knowledgeable about the Dead Sea. Classical games from the Divine Era are very popular now, and we both can express goodwill through games. The images captured would also be more impactful. What do you think?"

After getting Zhou Yi's permission, Red Kestrel agreed.

Soon, the teddy bear brought the ship captain to the shore.

Qin Xie looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, with short hair and clear facial features, still carrying the lean figure that hadn't faded from adolescence.

He was dressed in a camel-colored soft leather vest over a white long sleeve shirt, and below that were black trousers and boots.

This young man wasn't as pale as the people from Mao Valley Town. His complexion was healthy, clearly exposed to quite some sunlight, and there were no visible wounds.

Qin Xie extended his hand with a smile and said, "Mr. Zhou, I've long admired your reputation."

Zhou Yi shook his hand and returned the polite smile.

The teddy bear, holding a bulky device, snapped a photo, freezing their historic meeting onto a piece of paper. It handed the photo for Zhou Yi and Qin Xie to review.

In this era, cameras also used Light Imprint as the core technology.

The resolution of the photos wasn't high, but it didn't affect recognition.

Qin Xie was a fast talker. He said, "How about this, we walk around here first, let the teddy take a few photos of us, and then end with both of us playing a game."

"Just to show, through our actions, that this marine alien is harmless to humans. It will also reassure people about your company's subsequent development and recycling work here."

"I'll send these photos back to the Order and do some publicity and announcements for the nearby cities and ports; it will be good for accountability."

Zhou Yi said that was no problem.

So, the two of them staged some light-hearted posed photographs.

Finally came the game segment.

Qin Xie brought two wooden tables from the ship, joined them together in the middle, and erected a horizontal partition between them.

Then he handed Zhou Yi an oval-shaped wooden paddle and asked, "Do you play table tennis? This classic sport from the Divine Era is very popular within the Knight Order."

"How about we play this?" The other man swung the paddle in his hand and produced a small rubber ball.

Zhou Yi went over to the other side and swung his paddle, signaling his opponent, "Come on."

Half an hour later.

A sweaty Qin Xie, gasping for breath and resting his hands on his knees, looked at the man in front of him in shock, "You... How many years have you practiced those moves... I didn't know you could play like that?"

Zhou Yi only felt warmed up.

After all, table tennis was a national sport.

Back in school, he wasn't much good, but facing the new human Qin Xie, it was like holding a master wand, educating him with all sorts of forehand and backhand shots. Even if the paddle felt somewhat awkward, and the ball was a bit heavier, it didn't hinder the domination.

The best part was having Red Kestrel and the teddy bear walking around picking up balls.

"I would play sports sometimes; I understand a thing or two," Zhou Yi corrected him, "Also, it's called table tennis. If you want to improve, start by practicing pushing the ball."

Qin Xie wiped the sweat with a towel, "Mr. Zhou sure is an expert in the Dead Sea, you've even had extensive practice and research on these classical sports. I'll practice well and come back to you for advice."

"Good," Zhou Yi nodded.

The photoshoot was a success.

Qin Xie received the photos and double-checked the public statements with Zhou Yi before taking his leave.

...

The small boat headed back toward White Dove.

Qin Xie was still lamenting his defeat, considering himself the top paddle ball player of the Seventh Fleet.

Teddy suddenly slapped him hard and exclaimed, "Dude, no, dude, look!!"

"What's the matter?"

Qin Xie turned around, then momentarily stood in a daze.

That massive marine alien was heading straight north, with a Hunter from the Wasteland Development Company floating ahead of it, seeming to guide the way.

The alien was still accelerating, completely different from the previous drifting with the currents.

It had a clear direction and destination.

The teddy bear gasped, "Has that alien really been harvested by Zhou Yi?"

Qin Xie, however, just smiled and looked at the alien, getting further away in the Dead Sea, "The Wasteland Development Company is indeed an interesting place. No wonder the commander isn't causing them trouble; he must know something..."

"But man, that guy is strong."

He waved his paddle a little annoyed, "I've never been beaten so badly... What do I have to practice to be as strong as him?"

"Dude, is that really the point?!" the teddy bear grabbed his collar and roared, "Give it a rest!"

"Come on, just relax," Qin Xie opened his hands in surrender, indicating he gave up. "At least it's not a bad start. That guy didn't have any ill intentions towards me; we might meet again... hey, do you think 'that' would be interested?"

"Which 'that'?"

Qin Xie pointed his index finger skywards.

Teddy suddenly realized something and said, "Now that you mention it... you might be onto something."

"But, let's take things one step at a time," Qin Xie looked up, eyeing the slowly falling snowflakes, "Let's wait for this chaotic winter to end before seeing."

He looked at his partner, smiling with hands clasped together, "So, teddy, you write the report for me, will you?"

"...I can never get the better of you," the teddy bear revealed a helpless expression.